Chimney cleaner



I July 8, 1930. I KOHL 1,770,338

CHIMNEY CLEANER Patented July 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PAUL KOHL, OF WAUSAU, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO ANKO CHIMNEY CLEANING MA- 7 PATENT OFFICECHINE COMPANY, OF'WAUSAU, \VISCON SIN A PARTNERSHIP CON SISTING- THEO-DORE G. KOHL, HARRY J'. HEIN, WILLIAM N. WALKER, AND PAUL KOHL CHIMNEYCLEANER Application filed October 3, 1927.. Serial No. 223,715.

This invention relates to a chimney cleaner, and particularly to aportable cleaner adapted to be lowered into a chimney or'flue todislodge the accumulated soot therefrom.

An object of the invention is to provide a chimney cleaner which isinexpensive to man ufacture, and light in weight, yet durable 1n use.

A further object is to provide a chimney cleaner which is simply andeasily adjusted to various sizes of fiues.

A further object is to provide a chimney cleaner with an .open framework providing ample air space, so that the device will not clog up withthe dislodged soot but will allow the same to fall to the foot of theflue.

A still further object is to provide a chimney cleaner whose scrapingmembers can readily adjust themselves toinequalities in the size of theflue being cleaned, and which will not am against projections therein.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 shows the chimney cleaner in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a plan thereof; Fig. 3 shows a detail; and Fig. 4 shows adetail of a modification. Referring to the drawings, the cleanercomprises a central rod 1 having fixedly secured near one end thereofa-spider 2. An eye 3 is provided to receive a rope or chain by a meansof which the cleaner is lowered intov selves to variatlons 1n the flueand are not and pulled out of the flue to be cleaned.

Pivotally connected tothe four arms of spider 2 are links 4. The lowerends of links 4 are perforated to receive the bent-over ends of fourcoil springs 5, the springs thus forming a rectangle. Each spring 5 isenlarged at its center about midway between the points of connection toarms 4, and tapers toward each end. 1

Pivotally' connected to links 4, by means of the bent-over ends ofsprings 5, are a second set of arms 7. Arms 7 are pivoted at their lowerends to a spider 8, said spider being freely slidable on central rod 1.It will be seen that springs will tend to slide the I movable spider 8downwardly as seen inv as the means for pivotally connecting the arms 4and 7 in pairs, but it will be under- .stoood that the-invention is notso limited,

since separate pivot pinsmay be provided at this point. The springs 5may be connected to the upper arms 4 or the lower arms 7, or both, theonly essential being that they be connected adjacent the points ofconnection of these arms The springs .5 are shown" as connected to onepair ofarms in Fig.4, a separate pivot pin being'provided for thearms 4and 7. I i Below spider 8, the central arm li s/surrounded by a coilspring 9 hearing at one end against spider 8 and retained at its otherend by a cotter pin 10, said cotter pinpassingthrough oneof a seriesofholes 11in central rod 1. y

An eye 12 is attached to the lower end of central rod .1 to support aweight (not cotter .pin 10.111 the different holes 11, to

thereby adjust the cleaner for various sizes of fines. Springs 5function as effective scrapers for the flue,-since they canadjustthemeasily caught upon obstructions. The open frame allows thedislodged soot to fall freely through the cleaner.

I have shown my cleaner as'having four sets of toggle arms but it'willbe understood that the invention is not so limited, since I may usemoreorless than this number, de-

pending upon the shape of the fiue to be cleaned.

Various other changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may bemade without departing from the scope of this invention as expressed inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus'for cleaning a chimney or flue, a central member, apair of spiders thereon, a plurality of arms connected to each spider,the free ends of said arms being connected in pairs, and a coil springbetween each pair of arms, said springs defining generally a polygonsubstantially similar to the cross-sectional shape of the chimney flueto 4 be cleaned.

2. The structure asin claim 1, wherein each coil spring is enlarged atits center and tapers towards its ends. 7

3. The structure as in claim 1, wherein one of said spiders is slidableon said central member and a coil spring presses the same toward thecompanion spider, said coil spring surrounding said central member andpressing at one end directly on said spider and at the other end againsta member adjustable along said central member.

4. A chimney cleaning device comprising a plurality of coil springsconnected end to end, to form aclosed polygon, said springs havingenlarged portions substantially midway between the adjacent junctions,and tapering from said enlarged portions toward their ends.

5. A chimney cleaning device comprising a plurality of contractive coilsprings connected to provide resilient scraping means conformingsubstantiallyto the cross-section of the chimney flue, and adjustableresilient means normally tending to hold said springs in their expandedstate whereby the effective scraping surface may be varied.

6. In apparatus for cleaning a chimney or flue, a central member, a pairof spiders thereon, one of said spiders being loosely connected to saidcentral member, a plurality of arms connected to each spider, the freeends of each of said arms being arranged in pairs, and a coil springbetween each pair of arms, the ends of said coil springs passing throughperforations, in said upper and lower arms to'thereby pivotally connectthe same.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

PAUL KOHL.

